I have been spending summers…

I have been spending summers at Winnetka and Engineer Lake for 20 years. Access to the trail system behind the cabins is something that needs to remain open to all. These trail systems are used by many people who utilize the cabin areas for exercise, land maintenance and management, blueberry picking and exploration. Allowing this land to be developed and/or owned would potentially ruin the landscape, as well as public access to trail systems that are loved by everyone in the community. The trail systems have been available and developed for over 25 years, and this would be a huge loss to the community. These two lakes are also relatively small in size, so over development would be a very large concern. There are few areas that can be developed, so the potential of land loss is alarming.
These areas have been used by everyone on both lakes for as long as anyone can remember. To give them to one group would cause problems between people who own property there. It would also case much more traffic on the street directly in front of all the cabins which is a safety concern.
The application for this land transfer and new ownership, lands directly on access points to the trail systems used by everyone on the lake.
Finally, in the spirit of reconciliation and acknowledging the harm colonization has brought to this country, parcelling more land out to people of settler decent seems contrary to the spirit of reconciliation this country is trying to move forward with.